The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-26
OUR STATE EDUCATIONAL IN
STITUTIONS.
The A. & M. College.

EDITOR CLARION: The Agricultural
and Mechanical College is another State
Institution of which the people general
ly, and the farmers especially, may well |
be proud. 1t is an Institution, the
and support of which |
reflects great credit upon the wisdom of |
our State Legislature, and the intelli- |
gence OF our people who have sustained |
1t. 1t was a long-felt necessity; but
there was lacking sufficient nerve in cur
state Legislature to inaugurate it. But
finally, all hesitancy and timidity gave
place to determined energy and fearless
ness, and the College was brought into
being. Its success has been phenomenal.
FROM The very beginning its patronage
has been all that could be expected or
desired. indeed, many applicants for
admlttance into the College have not
been received because there was not
room enough in the spacious buildings
for their accommodation. Its entire man
agement has been such as to command
the warmest admiration of all our
people. And those who have been most
familiar with its operations are those
who approve il most. 1t has done
calculable good to the agricultural
interests Of this State. The President,
Gen. >. ID. Lee, is man in the right
place; and to his wise and efficient man
agement, the Institution is greatly il
debted for its remarkable success His
heart Is In this work. Tempting offers
have been made by other Institutions to
secure his services as President with a
much greater salary than that which he
nows receives. Of my own knowledge
| am cognizant of two such offers-one
from the fourishing State University of
Tennessee, and the other from Howard
| College, which has recently been re-
moved from Marion, Ala, TO the magic
city of Birmingham. But so devoted is
he to the A. & NJ. College, that the most
tempting offers of this kind are prompt.
| ly declined. And he is aided in his
noble work by g corps of able professors,
who occupy the different departments
of instruction with credit to themsel YES,
and to the entire satisfaction of the
Board of Trustees.
There are twenty-one Professors, be-
sides the President, and every depart
meut of the College is thus amply pro-
vided for. The report of the Board OF
Trustees, made at their meeting in July
last, Is very encouraging. | would be
glad if all the people of the State could
read that report.
The College has opened its present
session with 247 students-as many as
can be properly taught and provided
Tor. The Dormitory capacity is 20C
200 rooms) two to each room. The
President says: eve think health and
proper care necessitate our combining
ourselves to this limit. So we have 201
students-fnll capacity in the Dormi
tory, and 40 students on the campus, anG
from Starkville. We only take student.
from a distance in the dormitory. They
are not allowed to board in Starkville
We only take student from Starkvillt
who live there, or have near relative.
there. We never refuse students from
counties not already represented, ever
if we have eull numbers. We, in every
instance, provide for such students, a
we desire all the counties in the Stat,
represented, if possible. Our outlool
is splendid for this session. The new
students are a fine and earnest set o
boys. And as stated we only take a
many as we can properly handle-nt
more-and as nearly distributed pro rat
among the counties as can be arranged.
1t has been my privilege to visit thi
Institution on several occasions, and t
address the students. And [ must say
that | never met more respectful set O
boys in any of the many Colleges which
it has been my privilege to visit, thar
those whom | found in the A. & NJ
College of this State. What blessin.
such an Institution is to the young mel
of the State, and what an honor TO tn
State. God bless the A. & NJ. College
That such an institution should b,
opposed by any must result from entir,
ignorance of its operations, or lack o
interest in the highest welfare of tn,
young men of the State. If any oppo
sition arises to our noble state Educa
tional Instit 1tions on the ground of thu
States Indebtedness, then let the prope
remedy be applied by securing equaliza
ton in the taxes of our people. Their,
are a vast multitude of our citizens, whC
do not pay a quarter as much taxes il
proportion to their property as tn,
poorer classes of the people. Wha
must we think of man whose property
could not be bought for 100000 wh(
puts its value at 81, 900 on the tax list
And there are many of this class AnC
there are many worth $4,000, who pay
taxes on $4,000, and many more worth
$4,000 who pay taxes on $4,000, etc
Now this state of things ought to be
and must be corrected. These men are
protected in their property by the State
What would their property be worth il
it were not thus protected? And they
are more able to pay the legitimate taxes
necessary to secure this protection thar
any other class of our people. And the
Legislature ought to adopt some
measures by which equality in taxation
may be secured. If this is done the
taxes of such of us as are paying fol-
the full cash value of our property
would be in such condition as that al
the exigencies of the State government
would be provided for, and large sur
plus found in the treasury. "Let justice
be done though the heavens fall
Yours faithfully and truly,
| Taos. G. TEAsDALE,
| Columhus Oct II 1887